This is one of those games that is easy to learn, but hard to master. That’s part of what makes it so fun! A line of coloured balls rolls along a curled track, and you must eliminate them before they are swallowed up by the Skull at the end of the path. You use your mouse to rotate a stone frog containing a choice of two balls, then click to shoot one into the chain. Whenever you get three or more balls of the same colour, they explode. Playing well involves creating chains, taking advantage of power-ups, scoring through gaps, and collecting coins. As the game progresses, extra ball colours are added, and the speed and complexity of each course increases.
Two modes of play are available. Adventure Mode takes you through a series of levels, or Aztec temples, each consisting of a number of stages. You can save at any stage, but if you use up all your lives and die, you must restart at the beginning of the temple. The Gauntlet Mode allows you to replay levels you have beaten in Adventure Mode – only this time, the stream of balls is “endless”, gradually increasing in speed and number of colours. It’s a great way to hone your skills.
PopCap’s demo is the complete game, and although it is time-limited, it actually does let you continue playing an ad-supported version. Considering the addictiveness of this game, you’re going to want it all – and maybe on your cell phone too.
